Apparatus for producing selfsupporting wrinkle film



Nov. 27, 1951 Filed Jan. 14, 1947 H. A. TOULMlN, JR

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SELF-SUPPORTING WRINKLE FILM H" "i m 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HARRY A.TOULMIN JR BY Jami/om ATTORNEYS Nov.- 27, 1951 I H. A. TOULMIN, JR 2,576,317

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SELF-SUPPORTING WRINKLE FILM Filed Jan. 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR HARRY A. TOULMIN JR.

BY jmm gmlm ATTO RN EYS H. A. TOULMIN, JR

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SELF-SUPPORTING WRINKLE FILM Nov. 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 14, 1947 INVENTOR HARRY A.TOULMI N JR.

BY Tod/mm $17M ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 195! APPARATUS. FORPRODUCING SELF- SUPPORTING WRmnnE FILM Harry A. Toulmin, In, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to New: Wrinkle, Inc.,,=Daytn, Ohio,.'a corporation of Delaware Application January 14, 1947,, Serial No. 722,059

' :This invention deals with an apparatus for the production of self-supporting wrinkle films.

\ P It is: an object of this invention 'to provide an apparatus for producing self-supporting wrinkletextured films, the thickness of which is auto matically controlled.

'Ihe' invention will be fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l 'is a side elevationof an apparatus of my invention; 1

Figure 2 is a plan view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3.-3 of Figure 1;

I Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modification of the-apparatus of my invention; and

Figure 5 is'a diagrammaticsshowing of the. circuit controlling the speed of the belts.

Referring to. the drawings in detail, the reference numeral H) designates an endless: belt which runs: over twoguide. rolls II and i2. The roll H ismounted on an axleshaft. i3 and the roll 12 on an axleshaft M. A :motor i5 is conneeted with and drives the axle shaft l3 by means of a bevel gear lfiiand a belt ll. tainer I8 is mounted over one end of thebelt [0. This container holds film forming material which is dispensed onto the belt 10 by meansof a discharge spout l9. The film formed on the belt I0 is designated with the reference numeral 2|. A knife 22 =provides for uniform distribution; it also may control the thickness of the film 2|. However, this is'more efficiently done by another means which will be described later. Infrared lamps 23 are spacedly arranged overthe belt in order to. subject the film to baking. In theinstance illustrated, another series of infrared lamps 24 is arranged at the inside of the belt 1-0.

The belt moves in the direction of the arrow and brings the film under a control gage 25' where" the thickness of the film is determined. Afterthe film leaves the roller I2, it is partly cooled by means of an air blast supplied by a pipe 26. The pipe 26 is connected with a pressure container 2'! whichcontains eompressedair. This pressure container isfurthermore equipped with a pipe 28 which leads to the" container I 8 so that the discharge of the'film forming material may be carried out under the application of'pressure. The cooled air emanating from pipe 26 not only cools the film, but it also peels it from the supporting belt. The isolated film is then guided onto a second endless belt 29 which is guided over rolls 30 and 31 also driven by motor IS A con- '4 Claims. (01. an)

through bevel gears I50. and belt, Ila. This belt 29 is being: cooled continuously; by this, the film 2i is thoroughly cooled and hardened. Cooling of the-belt29 is carried out by guiding itthrough a container 33 which holds aliquid cooling me dium 34, thetemperature of which is lowered by means of cooling coils 35. The hardened film 2| is finally wound onto a reel 36.

The-gage-25 controls. the speed' of the motor l5. This is illustrated in -:Figure 5. The gage 25 is connected with a reversing switch 31' by means of a control arm I 3.8 which iswpivot'ed arounda'fulcrum 39. It is obvious. that when the thickness of. the film 2! increases, theverticalflpartl of the arm'iii drops and closeszthe switch 31. When the switch 31 closes, a control motor indicated with the numeral 40 rotates in cour-iterclockwlse direction, and the resistance 4| in 'the' circuit is decreased thereby. When the resistance 4| is. decreased, the feed motor is will runxwith increased speed and consequently also the belts") and 29, respectively, driven bythem. The increased-speedof the belts, in particular that of the feeding belt [0, causes a thinnerdistribution of the coating material and consequent- 1y a thinner. On the other hand, if the film 21 becomes too thin, the gage wheel 25 lowers whereby-the vertical part of the arm 38' is raised and-caused to close the reversing switch 31a. In this case the motor is caused to turn tothe opposite sideso that the resistance in the circuit is increased and the speed. of the belts decreased. A manually operated stop and start switch 42 for the feed motor l5 and'the motor 32. is arranged in the. circuit. Moreover, a vibration mechanism is installed in the circuit. In the instance illustratedin Figure 5, this, mechanism consists of an oscillator 43 and a supersonic vibratingattachmentfl. v

It will be understood that instead of infrared light, other means of curing known in the. art

may beused.

The belts may be made of steel, in particular of stainless steel and also of paper, fabric, plastie. and the like. Instead of using a belt on the cooling device, the film peeled off from the belt of the feeding device may also be deposited on a base material on which'i't is permanently to formv The film is then peeled 01f by cold air dispensed from a pipe 49 and deposited on a continuous sheet or strip of base material 50 which .is dispensed from a reel 51. A pair of compressin rolls 52 and 53 provide for integral combination of the base and the film materials. In the instance illustrated, mucilage is dispensed from a spray gun 54 onto the base material in order to enhance the bond of the layers. Instead of mucilage, heat or other means which increase;

the adhesion may be applied. The combination material formed of the base 50 and ,the film.48

may be carried out in one instead of in two steps and by other known refrigerating means but those shown in the drawings. 1

It 'will furthermore be understood that the vibration for the purpose of obtaining a homogeneous film may be carried out by other mechanical means instead of supersonic energy. However, it also may be entirely omitted without changing the essence of the invention.

Any wrinkling coating composition may be used with the apparatus of my invention. By wrinkle coating composition is meant a spreadable liquid compounded with unsaturateddrying oils which upon drying forms a hill and valley configuration. The character of the surface and general formulations which will produce this type of coating finish are explained in a general way in the patents such as those of Root, 1,896,594 and 1,950,417. The time and temperature of curing or setting are greatly-dependent upon the kind of coating material. used and also upon the thickness of the film. Heating for'the purpose of curing may be carried out by means of heating devices arranged on one side of the feed belt or on both sides thereof, the latter casebeing shown in the drawings. 5 r

It will be understood that while there have been described herein certain specific embodiments of my invention, it is not intended thereby to have it limited to or circumscribed by the "specific details given in view of the fact that this inven-' tion is susceptible to various modifications and changes which come within the spirit of this disclosure and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. An apparatus for producing'wrinkle finishes comprising an endless belt of stainless steel, driving means for said endless belt, means for dispensing a film of wrinkle coating composition 7 onto said belt, heating mean's'for baking said film on said belt, air nozzles for peeling said film from said belt and cooling said film, a second endless belt, driving means for said second belt, a container with cooling liquid, said second belt being arranged so as to receive the film peeled from said first belt and pass through the cooling liquid in said container to further cool the film, and means for receiving said film after it was hardened on said second belt. 1

2. An apparatus for producing wrinkle finishes said endless belt, means for driving said belt, heating means for curing the film, means including a thickness control gage for accurately measuring the thickness of the film obtained and for controlling the speed of said belt, means for cooling and removing said film from said belt, a container having cooling-liquid therein, a

second endless belt, means for driving said second belt, said second belt being arranged so as to receive the film removed from the first belt and pass through the cooling liquid in said container to further cool the film.

3. An apparatus for producing wrinkle finishes comprising an endless belt, means for dispensing a film of wrinkle coating composition onto said endless belt, means for driving said belt, heating means for curing the film, means including a thickness control gage for accurately measuring the thickness of the film obtained and for controlling the speed of said belt, speed adjusting means for said belt connected with and controlled by said thickness control gage-means for cooling and removing said film from said belt, and a second endless belt, driving means for said second belt, a container with coolingliquid, said second belt being arranged so as to receive the film removed from said first belt, and pass through the cooling liquid in said container to further cool the film,

4. An apparatus for producing wrinkle finishes comprising an endless belt, means for dispensing a film of wrinkle coating composition onto said endless belt, means for substantially controlling the thickness of the film on said belt, means for driving said belt, heating means for curing the film, means including a thickness control gage for accurately measuring the thicknessof the film obtained and for controlling the speed of said belt, speed adjusting means for said belt connected with and controlled by said'thickness control gage, means for cooling and removing said film from said belt, a second endless belt, driving means for said second belt, a container with cooling liquid, said second belt being arranged so as to receive the film'removed from said first belt and pass through the cooling liquid to further cool said film, and means for receiving said film after it has completely hardened on said secon belt.

HARRY A. TOULMIN, JR.

' REFERENCES CITED .The following references are of record in the file of this patent; 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,051,781 Brown Aug. 8, 1936 2,241,225 Talbot 1 May ,1941 2,258,659 Mosler Oct. 14, 1941 2,320,513 Drummond V 7 June 1, 1943 2,327,627 Esselen Aug. 24, 1943 2,345,013 Soday Mar. 28,1944 2,382,187 Vang Aug. 14, 1945 2,398,435 Marks Aug. 16, 1946 2,434,231 Seitz Jan. 6, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES Peck: Infra-Red Does the Trick, Scientific American, September 1941, pages 124-127. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WRINKLE FINISHES COMPRISING AN ENDLESS BELT OF STAINLESS STEEL, DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID ENDLESS WRINKLE COATING COMPOSITION PENSING A FILM OF WRINKLE COATING COMPOSITION ONTO SAID BELT, HEATING MEANS FOR BAKING SAID FILM ON SAID BELT, AIR NOZZLES FOR PEELING SAID FILM FROM SAID BELT AND COOLING SAID FILM, A SECOND ENDLESS BELT, DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID SECOND BELT, A CONTAINER WITH COOLING LIQUID, SAID SECOND BELT BEING ARRANGED SO AS TO RECEIVED THE FILM PEELED FROM SAID FIRST BELT AND PASS THROUGH THE COOLING LIQUID IN SAID CONTAINER TO FURTHER COOL THE FILM, AND 